Marijuana is the most widely available and frequently
abused illicit drug in Florida. Most of the marijuana available in Florida
is produced in Jamaica or Mexico. Significant quantities of marijuana also
are produced in Florida and other U.S. states--particularly California and
southwestern states--as well as in Canada and Colombia. Marijuana
frequently is smuggled to Florida from Jamaica aboard maritime vessels, on
private or commercial aircraft, or via package delivery services.
Marijuana also is transported from Canada, Mexico, and southwestern states
in private vehicles, trucks, via package delivery services, and by
couriers or air cargo shipments on commercial airlines. Colombian DTOs and
criminal groups or groups working on their behalf use the same methods to
transport marijuana south from New York into Florida and use couriers or
cargo shipments on commercial airlines to smuggle marijuana from South
America. Jacksonville and Miami are regional distribution centers for
wholesale and retail quantities of marijuana. Jamaican and Mexican
criminal groups are the most prominent wholesale distributors of marijuana
in Florida; however, no specific organization or group controls the
majority of wholesale marijuana distribution in the state. Jamaican,
Mexican, African American, Caucasian, Cuban and other Caribbean criminal
groups; local independent African American and Caucasian dealers; and
gangs such as Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Vice Lords, and Sureņos 13
are the most prominent midlevel and retail distributors of marijuana in
the state. At the retail level marijuana usually is packaged in plastic
bags selling for $5 and $10--known, respectively, as nickel and dime
bags--and distributed at low-income housing areas, open-air drug markets,
and in economically depressed rural areas in Florida. Marijuana also is
sold to established contacts at bars and nightclubs, from some businesses
and private homes, and on college, high school, and middle school
campuses.

Treatment data indicate that marijuana is commonly abused
in Florida. The number of marijuana-related treatment admissions to
publicly funded facilities was second only to the number for cocaine abuse
each year from 1997 through 2000 and was higher than the number for every
other illicit drug in 2001. According to TEDS data, the number of
marijuana-related treatment admissions increased from 12,146 in 1997 to
14,356 in 2001, peaking at 17,057 in 1999. (See Table 3 in Overview
section.) The number of marijuana-related treatment admissions per 100,000
population (133) in Florida exceeded the number per 100,000 population
nationwide (103) in 1999, the most recent year for which these data are
available.

Miami has a significant number of ED mentions associated
with marijuana abuse. According to DAWN data, the number of
marijuana-related ED mentions in Miami increased steadily from 1,024 in
1997 to 1,932 in 2001. The rate of marijuana-related ED mentions per
100,000 population in Miami also increased, from 55 in 1997 to 94 in 2001.

Survey data indicate that the rate of marijuana abuse in
Florida is comparable to the national percentage. According to the 1999
and the 2000 NHSDA, 4.7 percent of Florida residents surveyed reported
having abused marijuana in the month prior to the survey, compared to 4.8
percent nationwide. Further, Florida residents in the 18 to 25 age group
reported the highest percentage (13.1%) of past month marijuana abuse.

The percentage of high school students in Florida
reporting having abused marijuana at least once in their lifetime is
statistically comparable to the national percentage. According to the 2001
YRBS, 40.2 percent of Florida high school students surveyed reported
having abused marijuana at least once in their lifetime, compared to 42.4
percent nationwide. Further, 23.1 percent of those students reported
having abused marijuana in the 30 days prior to the survey, compared to
23.9 percent nationally.

Marijuana was detected often among adult male arrestees in
Fort Lauderdale and Miami in 2000. According to ADAM data, 43.3 percent of
male arrestees in Fort Lauderdale and 38.5 percent of male arrestees in
Miami tested positive for marijuana abuse in 2000. (See Table 2 in Overview
section.)

Marijuana is the most widely available drug in Florida.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials throughout the state
report that marijuana is readily available in every county. Marijuana was
seized more frequently than any other illicit drug in Florida each year
from 1997 through 2001. According to FDSS data, the amount of marijuana
seized by federal law enforcement officials in Florida fluctuated but
decreased overall from 33,439 kilograms in 1997 to 30,184 kilograms in
2001. (See Table 1 in Overview
section.)

Both hydroponic marijuana and commercial-grade marijuana
are readily available in Florida. Hydroponically produced marijuana is
considerably more expensive than commercial-grade marijuana. According to
the DEA Miami Division, pound quantities of commercial-grade marijuana
sold for $450 to $1,500 statewide in the second quarter of FY2002, while
pound quantities of hydroponically produced marijuana sold for $2,500 to
$5,000. Ounce quantities of commercial-grade marijuana sold for $50 to
$150 throughout Florida in that quarter, and hydroponically produced
marijuana sold for $300 to $500 per ounce.

The percentage of marijuana-related federal sentences in
Florida was significantly lower than the national percentage each year
from FY1997 through FY2001. According to USSC data, 14.0 percent of
drug-related federal sentences in Florida in FY2001 were
marijuana-related, compared with 32.8 percent nationwide.

The level of violence directly attributed to marijuana
distribution in Florida is low. However, gangs that engage in polydrug
distribution such as Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Vice Lords, and
Sureņos 13 often commit violent crimes to protect their product and turf.
Other criminal groups likewise resort to violence to protect their
marijuana distribution activities. In April 2002 the North Miami Beach
Police Department investigated two homicides that were directly attributed
to marijuana distribution. Both of these incidents involved members of
Haitian and African American criminal groups battling over turf in the
Miami area.

There is very little violence associated with marijuana
abuse in Florida. The effects of the drug often depend upon the abuser's
expectations. While low doses of marijuana tend to induce relaxation, high
doses may cause image distortion, a loss of personal identity, fantasies,
and hallucinations. In Florida marijuana occasionally is laced with other
drugs, including PCP (phencyclidine) and crack cocaine. These adulterants
substantially alter the effects and toxicity of the product, making it
more likely that an abuser will become violent.

Cannabis cultivation sometimes is associated with violent
crime in Florida. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials in
the state report that cannabis growers sometimes use trip wires, beds of
nails, solar-powered electric fences, and explosives to secure outdoor
cultivation sites and to deter intruders. According to Florida Department
of Law Enforcement Domestic Marijuana Eradication Program data, federal,
state, and local law enforcement officials seized 42 firearms from the 551
grow sites detected in Florida in 2001.

Significant quantities of marijuana are produced in Florida;
however, most of the marijuana available in the state is produced in Jamaica or
Mexico. Additional quantities of marijuana are produced in other U.S.
states--particularly California and southwestern states--as well as in Canada
and Colombia. According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement Domestic
Marijuana Eradication Program data, federal, state, and local law enforcement
officials eradicated 28,206 cannabis plants in Florida in 2001. These plants
were cultivated both indoors and outdoors in 58 of the state's 67 counties.
However, 63 percent of all the cannabis plants eradicated in Florida that year
had been cultivated in 12 counties--Alachua, Brevard, Duval, Gadsden,
Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Lee, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Orange, and Santa
Rosa.

Cannabis plants are cultivated both indoors and outdoors in the
state. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials indicate that
aggressive aerial detection missions and occasional drought conditions have, at
least in part, contributed to a shift from large outdoor grows to indoor grows
and smaller, more widely dispersed outdoor grows. According to DEA Domestic
Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program data, the number of outdoor-cultivated
cannabis plants eradicated in the state decreased from 23,796 in 2000 to 13,055
in 2001, while the number of indoor-cultivated plants eradicated remained
relatively stable with 15,343 in 2000 and 15,151 in 2001. According to DEA
statistics, Florida ranked third after California (113,009 plants) and
Washington (25,799 plants) for the number of cannabis plants seized from indoor
grows in the United States in 2001.

Criminal Group Used Multiple Indoor Sites to Cultivate Cannabis

In October 2002, 18 members of a Caucasian criminal group were
convicted on drug-related charges for cultivating cannabis in South Florida.
Group members purchased a total of 13 houses in Palm Beach County and other
southern counties and established grow sites at each of the locations. Each
house was situated on a large lot--over an acre of land--and was outfitted with
special lighting to enhance cultivation. Group members bypassed electric meters
to avoid excessive electric bills and laundered drug proceeds through the
payroll department of an air-conditioning sales company. According to law
enforcement officials, each site contained approximately 240 cannabis plants.

Marijuana from foreign and domestic sources is transported into
Florida by various groups and methods. Federal, state, and local law enforcement
officials report that marijuana frequently is smuggled into Florida from Jamaica
aboard maritime vessels, on private or commercial aircraft, or via package
delivery services. Marijuana also is transported from Canada, Mexico, and
southwestern states in private vehicles, commercial trucks, via package delivery
services, and by couriers or in cargo shipments on commercial airlines.
Colombian DTOs and criminal groups or groups working on their behalf use the
same methods to transport marijuana south from New York to Florida and use
couriers or cargo shipments on commercial airlines to smuggle marijuana from
South America.

Maritime Marijuana Seizures

On October 20, 2002, a boarding crew from a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
cutter seized 1,075 pounds of marijuana from a 28-foot private fishing boat
during a standard safety inspection. The seizure occurred in the Florida Straits
approximately 30 miles east of Miami. The marijuana was secreted in the cabin
and in storage compartments throughout the vessel. Two male U.S. citizens were
arrested. The origin of the marijuana is unknown.

Source: USCG.

On February 28, 2002, USCS agents seized 2 tons of marijuana
aboard a containerized vessel at the Port of Miami. The marijuana was concealed
in a containerized shipment of yams. The vessel arrived from Kingston, Jamaica.

Source: USCS.

A significant portion of the marijuana transported into Florida,
particularly the southern part of the state, is smuggled on maritime vessels.
Some vessels arrive in Florida directly from source or transit countries in
South and Central America and the Caribbean. Others rendezvous with maritime
vessels acting as motherships or retrieve marijuana from airdrops. Large
shipments of marijuana typically are smuggled into the state aboard
containerized cargo vessels, coastal freighters, and go-fast boats. Smaller
quantities typically are smuggled by couriers aboard cruise ships and via small
watercraft. Marijuana smuggled aboard containerized cargo vessels typically is
intermingled with goods inside a container or within the walls of the container.
Marijuana smuggled aboard coastal freighters usually is intermingled with bulk
cargo; secreted inside fuel tanks, water tanks, or other voids in the vessels'
structures; or placed in hidden compartments designed to conceal drugs.
Marijuana smuggled aboard go-fast boats usually is covered with a tarp, whereas
marijuana smuggled aboard other small watercraft typically is concealed within
storage compartments. Drug couriers aboard cruise ships typically conceal
marijuana on their person or in their luggage. Couriers aboard cruise ships also
stash marijuana on the ship for retrieval after the vessel has docked or pass
marijuana to corrupt crew members. USCS officials in Florida seized over 29,606
kilograms of marijuana aboard maritime vessels in 2001. This amount was greater
than the amount of any other illicit drug seized aboard maritime vessels that
year.

Airdrops and Mothership Operations

Airdrops and mothership operations generally occur in Caribbean
waters, the Florida Straits, or the Bahamas. Drug transporters most commonly use
go-fast boats and fishing vessels to retrieve airdropped packages of marijuana
or to conduct a rendezvous with a mothership; however, other types of vessels
also are used. Packages of airdropped marijuana usually are attached to fishing
buoys by a cable.

Source: Blue Lightning Strike Force.

Noncommercial vessels are used to smuggle marijuana into Florida
at an increasing rate. According to the USCG, an increasing number of DTOs and
criminal groups use noncommercial vessels to smuggle marijuana and other drugs
into South Florida from points throughout the Caribbean, especially via the
Bahamas. EPIC reported that federal, state, and local law enforcement officials
seized 6,944 kilograms of marijuana entering Florida via noncommercial vessels
in 2001, compared with 2,027 kilograms in 2000.

Significant quantities of marijuana also are transported into
Florida, particularly the northern and central parts of the state, in private
and commercial vehicles. Marijuana transported in commercial vehicles often is
intermingled with legitimate cargo, while marijuana transported in private
vehicles often is concealed in hidden compartments. In December 2001 DEA agents
in Orlando seized 1,236 pounds of marijuana from a criminal group that had
transported 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana in private and commercial
vehicles from Texas into Florida over a 2-year period. According to DEA,
hundred- to multihundred-pound shipments of marijuana are transported on I-10 in
private and commercial vehicles into and through the Florida Panhandle area
daily. USCS officials in Florida seized 4,691 kilograms of marijuana from
commercial and private vehicles in 2001. This amount was greater than the amount
of any other illicit drug seized from commercial and private vehicles that year.
Law enforcement officials in Florida seized 320.1 kilograms of marijuana as part
of Operation Pipeline in 2001.

Commercial and private aircraft and package delivery services
also are used to transport marijuana into Florida. Marijuana shipments smuggled
into Florida on aircraft are concealed using various means. Couriers often
conceal marijuana taped to their body or hide the drug in clothing. In February
2001 DEA officials in Orlando arrested two individuals and seized 23 pounds of
marijuana that were concealed on their persons under exercise belts made of
spandex. Marijuana also is hidden in luggage with clothing or inside false
compartments. Marijuana in air cargo shipments typically is packaged in a
container or box, sometimes intermingled with legitimate products. According to
the North Florida HIDTA, hydroponically produced marijuana smuggled from British
Columbia, Canada, referred to as BC Bud, increasingly is transported via private
aircraft directly into Florida. Federal, state, and local law enforcement
officials in Florida seized 675.6 kilograms of marijuana transported on private
and commercial aircraft as part of Operation Jetway in FY2001.

Jacksonville and Miami are regional distribution centers
for wholesale quantities of marijuana. State and local law enforcement
officials in at least 10 states responding to the NDTS 2002 reported that
Florida is a supply area for marijuana available in their jurisdictions.
Some states reporting Florida as a supply area for marijuana are Alabama,
Georgia, Illinois, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Jamaican and Mexican criminal groups are the most
prominent wholesale distributors of marijuana in Florida; however, no
specific organization or group controls the majority of wholesale
marijuana distribution in the state. The North Florida HIDTA reports that
Mexican criminal groups are the dominant wholesale distributors of
marijuana in northern Florida, while the Central Florida HIDTA reports
that Jamaican criminal groups are the dominant wholesale distributors of
marijuana in central and southern Florida. Colombian, Bahamian, and other
Caribbean criminal groups and African American and Hispanic gangs also
sell wholesale quantities of marijuana in the state. Many of these
criminal groups and gangs sell multikilogram to multihundred-kilogram
quantities of marijuana to midlevel distributors who, in turn, distribute
kilogram to pound quantities of marijuana to retail distributors.

Various criminal groups, local independent dealers, and
gangs distribute midlevel and retail quantities of marijuana in Florida.
Jamaican, Mexican, African American, Caucasian, Cuban and other Caribbean
criminal groups; local independent African American and Caucasian dealers;
and gangs such as Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Vice Lords, and
Sureņos 13 are the most prominent midlevel and retail distributors of
marijuana in the state. At the retail level marijuana usually is packaged
in plastic bags selling for $5 and $10 each--known, respectively, as
nickel and dime bags. Retail quantities of marijuana are distributed at
low-income housing areas, open-air drug markets, and in economically
depressed rural areas in Florida. However, marijuana also is sold to
established contacts at bars and nightclubs, from some businesses and
private homes, and on college, high school, and middle school campuses.
Retail distribution of marijuana in Florida is increasingly competitive.
Many retail distributors add adulterants such as powdered cocaine,
ketamine, methamphetamine, embalming fluid laced with PCP, and other
substances to low potency marijuana in an attempt to create a unique
product that will attract repeat customers.